Ian Danver The sky was beautiful that day as we harvested the Spring crop of shallots. I was fourteen-years old then as Keri and I helped my mother with digging out the fresh onions.
“Ian, were you able to find another basket?” My mother asked as she took a damp cloth to wipe away the sweat on her forehead.
“Keri and I searched all over the house and the shed. There was only two left and they were broken.” I replied. “The bigger one had a broken handle and the other had a big hole in it.”
My mother smiled warmly. “Don’t give up. Just innovate.” She got up and dusted off her pants. “We can go in and fix them. I know there are some reeds in the shed and I bet we could use a break from the sun. I know I do.” She continued as she stretched her back to alleviate the tension from constantly bending over.
I smiled at my mother as we walked towards the house. As we approached the partially-paved road between the farm fields and our home, a rumble shook the ground. Everyone stopped and looked westward towards the smoke plume growing near the town hall and market. I remembered that day; May 20th 2100.
“We need to get to safety, now!” My mother yelled. “Where is Keri? Ian? Ian!”
“Ian! Are you ok?” Cried Claire. The building that we had taken refuge in with a few scavengers had been hit hard. An explosion down the hallway of what remained of a elementary school rocked me and the others off our feet. I was dazed but quick to my feet.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied while trying to catch my breath.
“I’m going in.” Robert yelled as he joined with one of the scavengers to investigate what happened.
With my mind cleared I caught up with Robert and the scavengers. For all I knew they may be more scavengers in this place that needed immediate help. We make way towards where the explosion occurred as the smoke and rubble became more noticeable while three large wolf-like dogs appeared. These were clearly not friendly as they charged at us. The scavenger was ripped apart by them in a matter of seconds as his screaming turned bloody while his throat was gouged by the attacker’s sharp teeth. Robert was struck and injured by one of the other feral dogs. Robert took out his taser and fired at one of the dogs, making it yelp while briefly stunned. I decided to turn and make a dash for help but the others were quick to arrive as one of the two scavengers took a shot at the dog attacking Robert, killing it instantly.
“We need to get the hell out of here now!” Rio declared as Claire ran to Robert for aid.
I’m not sure what Bordeaux was thinking of at the time, but clearly went into a different state of mind. “Hello puppies!” she gleefully expressed as she went towards the dogs. Walking up to one of them, she gives the dog some uncooked bacon that she had. Taking it out and handing it to the dog, it became relaxed and occupied with eating the meaty bacon rather than making a dash towards anyone of us.
“Lady, what the fuck are you doing?” The armed scavenger yelled with confusion as he pointed his rifle at the dogs.
“No! Don’t hurt the dogs. They’re just hungry. That’s all.” She tearfully shouted as she put herself between the bacon-eating dog and the scavenger.
“We need to get out of here. Is there an emergency exit from this place?” Claire loudly asked as she got Robert to his feet and towards the rest of us.
“Repent or die!” Declared a voice as the halls became silent.
“Oh shit.” I muttered under my breath, leaving Bordoux with the dogs and the approaching figures. We only saw a silhouette from afar, but that one phrase was all I needed to hear. We all made a dash upstairs to a more fortified room.
“Don’t hurt the dogs. I’m working on it.” Bordoux cried aloud as we left.
“Follow me! Move it!” The scavenger barked as him, Rio, Robert, Claire, and I bolted up the stairs following him. We ran into an old computer room with no exits other than the door we went it through. All of us inside, the scavenger locked the metal door with a Z-lock holding us in tight.
“Is there any way out of here?” Claire asked.
“If they ignore us or not hear us, we should be fine.” The scavenger said panting.
Rio looks up at the ceiling of the dimly lit room and notices an air duct. “What about going through there?” He asked, pointing to the opening.
The silhouette approached Bordoux as two others followed his lead. The other dogs were taking a liking to Bordoux and her food. The otherwise feral dogs took to her side as the fiercely intimidating men with their deathly-looking cloaks approached her.
“Huh. Those dogs don’t normally act like that.” Said one of the men in a rather puzzled response.
The leader of the group merely smiled as the pointed his shotgun at her point-blank. With a single shot to the chest, Bordoux was hurled to a wall. The blast of shotgun shell frightened the neutral dogs as they runaway from the men and Bordoux. She laid motionless on the floor with her eyes shut.The leader then approaches her. Her chest not bleeding as her leather jacket absorbed the hit but knocking her out in the process. Kicking her in the stomach, she coughed. The man knelled down and grabed her by the collar.
“Do you repent?” The leader asked starring into Bordoux’s eyes.
“Yes.” She slowly said, coughing. “Where am I?” She muttered.
“Take her away. Careful now.” He ordered with a menacing smile. as one of the men grabbed her and carried her away.
“What... is going on?” She blankly said before passing out again.
“Claire, you follow me through. Ian, Robert. You wait and hold tight. When we find a route out. we’ll come back and lead you guys though.” Rio stated as he moved furniture to open the vent cover. He opened the vent and climbed in. “Claire, grab my leg and I’ll pull you in.”
“Got it.” she quickly replied as she took hold of his leg pulling her into the vent. I then closed the vent cover just in case something happened so these men would not take notice.
“What is that?” I asked as I approached what appeared to be a large gun and a mount.
“It a high-powered energy weapon called the ‘BFG-1000’. Old military technology that these savages are after.” Said the scavenger as he became more frantic as footsteps and the clicking noise of a scepter became louder and louder.
“Let’s mount this thing to the table in the center.” Robert frantically says as he pushes a sturdy table in the direction of the door. I grab the heavy gun and mount as the scavenger and Robert lock it in.
“I’ll take the shot when they get close enough.” I say as I quiet-down my voice and ready my stance grasping the weapon on the mount.
“Careful. That thing can blow apart the whole building.” The scavenger whispered. The noises got louder as the leader stopped.
“Here. I can smell them.”
I didn’t hesitate. I took a shot throwing me back against the wall, blowing out the door and part of the wall. Smoke filled up the place as The horseman enter.
“So. I have but one question for all of you.” The leader announced as he came in holding his scepter. “Do you repent?” Looking around. Robert and I notice the man’s tattoos with his age. Whoever this man was clearly was a high-ranked member, maybe even one of the original Four Horseman from long ago.
The other Horseman are caught off guard by Robert grabbing one of the follower’s shotgun and takes a shot towards them. Missing the targets but the scavenger time to put a bullet into the eye of one of the follower’s as I grabbed the high-powered gun firing but loosing my aim. Shots get fired everywhere but no one is hit. The surviving follower grabs another shotgun to take me out. I dodge the first shot only to get hit by the second around the left shoulder. I’m thrown against the corner coughing and yelling in pain while dazed. The elder horseman approaches me while he stood with his scepter in one hand and a gun pointed at me in the other.
Staring into his face as blood slowly dripped from my mouth, I hear my mother’s voice again from so long ago like she was whispering right next to me: Don’t give up. I look at the gun pointed at me as I then slowly turn my head and gaze towards the leader’s face.
The sky was beautiful that day as we harvested the Spring crop of shallots. I was fourteen-years old then as Keri and I helped my mother with digging out the fresh onions.
“Ian, were you able to find another basket?” My mother asked as she took a damp cloth to wipe away the sweat on her forehead.
“Keri and I searched all over the house and the shed. There was only two left and they were broken.” I replied. “The bigger one had a broken handle and the other had a big hole in it.”
My mother smiled warmly. “Don’t give up. Just innovate.” She got up and dusted off her pants. “We can go in and fix them. I know there are some reeds in the shed and I bet we could use a break from the sun. I know I do.” She continued as she stretched her back to alleviate the tension from constantly bending over.
I smiled at my mother as we walked towards the house. As we approached the partially-paved road between the farm fields and our home, a rumble shook the ground. Everyone stopped and looked westward towards the smoke plume growing near the town hall and market. I remembered that day; May 20th 2100.
“We need to get to safety, now!” My mother yelled. “Where is Keri? Ian? Ian!”
“Ian! Are you ok?” Cried Claire. The building that we had taken refuge in with a few scavengers had been hit hard. An explosion down the hallway of what remained of a elementary school rocked me and the others off our feet. I was dazed but quick to my feet.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied while trying to catch my breath.
“I’m going in.” Robert yelled as he joined with one of the scavengers to investigate what happened.
With my mind cleared I caught up with Robert and the scavengers. For all I knew they may be more scavengers in this place that needed immediate help. We make way towards where the explosion occurred as the smoke and rubble became more noticeable while three large wolf-like dogs appeared. These were clearly not friendly as they charged at us. The scavenger was ripped apart by them in a matter of seconds as his screaming turned bloody while his throat was gouged by the attacker’s sharp teeth. Robert was struck and injured by one of the other feral dogs. Robert took out his taser and fired at one of the dogs, making it yelp while briefly stunned. I decided to turn and make a dash for help but the others were quick to arrive as one of the two scavengers took a shot at the dog attacking Robert, killing it instantly.
“We need to get the hell out of here now!” Rio declared as Claire ran to Robert for aid.
I’m not sure what Bordeaux was thinking of at the time, but clearly went into a different state of mind. “Hello puppies!” she gleefully expressed as she went towards the dogs. Walking up to one of them, she gives the dog some uncooked bacon that she had. Taking it out and handing it to the dog, it became relaxed and occupied with eating the meaty bacon rather than making a dash towards anyone of us.
“Lady, what the fuck are you doing?” The armed scavenger yelled with confusion as he pointed his rifle at the dogs.
“No! Don’t hurt the dogs. They’re just hungry. That’s all.” She tearfully shouted as she put herself between the bacon-eating dog and the scavenger.
“We need to get out of here. Is there an emergency exit from this place?” Claire loudly asked as she got Robert to his feet and towards the rest of us.
“Repent or die!” Declared a voice as the halls became silent.
“Oh shit.” I muttered under my breath, leaving Bordoux with the dogs and the approaching figures. We only saw a silhouette from afar, but that one phrase was all I needed to hear. We all made a dash upstairs to a more fortified room.
“Don’t hurt the dogs. I’m working on it.” Bordoux cried aloud as we left.
“Follow me! Move it!” The scavenger barked as him, Rio, Robert, Claire, and I bolted up the stairs following him. We ran into an old computer room with no exits other than the door we went it through. All of us inside, the scavenger locked the metal door with a Z-lock holding us in tight.
“Is there any way out of here?” Claire asked.
“If they ignore us or not hear us, we should be fine.” The scavenger said panting.
Rio looks up at the ceiling of the dimly lit room and notices an air duct. “What about going through there?” He asked, pointing to the opening.
The silhouette approached Bordoux as two others followed his lead. The other dogs were taking a liking to Bordoux and her food. The otherwise feral dogs took to her side as the fiercely intimidating men with their deathly-looking cloaks approached her.
“Huh. Those dogs don’t normally act like that.” Said one of the men in a rather puzzled response.
The leader of the group merely smiled as the pointed his shotgun at her point-blank. With a single shot to the chest, Bordoux was hurled to a wall. The blast of shotgun shell frightened the neutral dogs as they runaway from the men and Bordoux. She laid motionless on the floor with her eyes shut.The leader then approaches her. Her chest not bleeding as her leather jacket absorbed the hit but knocking her out in the process. Kicking her in the stomach, she coughed. The man knelled down and grabed her by the collar.
“Do you repent?” The leader asked starring into Bordoux’s eyes.
“Yes.” She slowly said, coughing. “Where am I?” She muttered.
“Take her away. Careful now.” He ordered with a menacing smile. as one of the men grabbed her and carried her away.
“What... is going on?” She blankly said before passing out again.
“Claire, you follow me through. Ian, Robert. You wait and hold tight. When we find a route out. we’ll come back and lead you guys though.” Rio stated as he moved furniture to open the vent cover. He opened the vent and climbed in. “Claire, grab my leg and I’ll pull you in.”
“Got it.” she quickly replied as she took hold of his leg pulling her into the vent. I then closed the vent cover just in case something happened so these men would not take notice.
“What is that?” I asked as I approached what appeared to be a large gun and a mount.
“It a high-powered energy weapon called the ‘BFG-1000’. Old military technology that these savages are after.” Said the scavenger as he became more frantic as footsteps and the clicking noise of a scepter became louder and louder.
“Let’s mount this thing to the table in the center.” Robert frantically says as he pushes a sturdy table in the direction of the door. I grab the heavy gun and mount as the scavenger and Robert lock it in.
“I’ll take the shot when they get close enough.” I say as I quiet-down my voice and ready my stance grasping the weapon on the mount.
“Careful. That thing can blow apart the whole building.” The scavenger whispered.
The noises got louder as the leader stopped.
“Here. I can smell them.”
I didn’t hesitate. I took a shot throwing me back against the wall, blowing out the door and part of the wall. Smoke filled up the place as The horseman enter.
“So. I have but one question for all of you.” The leader announced as he came in holding his scepter. “Do you repent?” Looking around. Robert and I notice the man’s tattoos with his age. Whoever this man was clearly was a high-ranked member, maybe even one of the original Four Horseman from long ago.
The other Horseman are caught off guard by Robert grabbing one of the follower’s shotgun and takes a shot towards them. Missing the targets but the scavenger time to put a bullet into the eye of one of the follower’s as I grabbed the high-powered gun firing but loosing my aim. Shots get fired everywhere but no one is hit. The surviving follower grabs another shotgun to take me out. I dodge the first shot only to get hit by the second around the left shoulder. I’m thrown against the corner coughing and yelling in pain while dazed. The elder horseman approaches me while he stood with his scepter in one hand and a gun pointed at me in the other.
Staring into his face as blood slowly dripped from my mouth, I hear my mother’s voice again from so long ago like she was whispering right next to me: Don’t give up. I look at the gun pointed at me as I then slowly turn my head and gaze towards the leader’s face.
“Repent?”